1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a nozzle for ventilating a vehicle interior, such as used to direct air from an air conditioning system.
2. Description of Prior Developments
In the case of a known air nozzle of this type (DE 197 48 998 C1), in order for the air nozzle when not in use to have a covering which can be closed in a visually neat manner and which fits unobtrusively into the harmony and aesthetics of the interior trim, the nozzle insert carrying the air-guiding vanes is designed as a roller-like, hollow pivoting insert. This insert is mounted pivotably about its roller axis and has a casing opening which is essentially congruent with the air outflow opening. The roller insert is coupled to the panel designed as a rolling and closing screen in such a manner that with increasing pivoting of its casing opening away from the air outflow opening, it covers the opening to the same extent with the rolling and closing screen. This constructive configuration of the air nozzle always requires the nozzle front side to have an external contour curved in the form of a circular arc, which signifies a restriction on the structural freedom of the design of the dashboard in which such air nozzles are generally arranged.
The invention is based on the object of constructively modifying a nozzle for ventilating a vehicle interior of the type mentioned above in such a manner that the shape of the nozzle housing, in particular its front contour, can be configured in any desired manner without having to omit a covering for the nozzle opening when not in use.
The air nozzle according to the invention has the advantage that, in contrast to the roller insert, a slide can be constructively adapted to any configuration of the front contour of the nozzle housing without a problem and places no demands on the configuration of the front contour of the nozzle housing in terms of design. The air nozzle can therefore advantageously be used in all dashboards or instrument panels of differing design. Moving a slide into the depth of the nozzle housing to enable the panel to close the air outflow opening causes the air-guiding vanes to be displaced sufficiently far out of the air outlet opening that the movement of the panel in order to close the outlet opening is not impeded. This is also necessary in particular, since the gripping strip conventionally fitted onto an air-guiding vane and intended for manual pivoting of the air-guiding vanes and for setting of the air outflow direction has to protrude somewhat out of the air outlet opening over the contour of the housing, to enable the gripping strip to be gripped in an ergonomic manner, and would therefore never permit the closing of the panel.